Effects of intranasal (S)-ketamine on Veterans with co-morbid treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: A retrospective case series
EClinicalMedicine May 7, 2022 Hewa Artin, Sean Bentley, Eamonn Mehaffey et al. 35 citations
In an open-label retrospective analysis of 35 Veterans with co-occurring depression and PTSD, repeated intranasal (S)-ketamine treatments over four weeks were associated with reductions in both depression and PTSD symptoms. Depression scores on the PHQ-9 fell by an average of 5.1 points, from 19.8 to 14.7, with 14% of patients showing a clinically meaningful response. PTSD scores on the PCL-5 dropped by an average of 15.5 points, from 54.8 to 39.3, with 46% showing a clinically meaningful response. Changes in depression and PTSD symptoms were only moderately correlated, and some individuals experienced PTSD improvement without antidepressant response, suggesting distinct mechanisms of action for the two conditions.